


Who I Can Be With You

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Early dating, F/M, rafael figuring out how to dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28204911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: They've only been dating a few weeks, but Rafael's figuring things out pretty well.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40
Collections: Barson Secret Santa 2020





	Who I Can Be With You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StillNotMeShh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StillNotMeShh/gifts).



Noah answers the door at Rafael's knock and gives him a wide smile. "Hi, Uncle Rafa!"

"Hi," Rafael replies, smiling in response. "Are you ready for your sleepover tonight?"

"Uh-huh. We're gonna watch _three_ movies and eat popcorn and make hot chocolate and order pizza…"

Rafael nods as Noah continues to list off all the things he and his friends will do tonight, waiting for Noah to take a breath before saying, "That all sounds great! May I come in?"

"Oh, yeah!" Noah says and steps to one side. "Please come in," he says in a very serious voice. He's on a manners kick, and it takes everything in Rafael not to laugh at the way he holds his chin up to look more like an adult. 

"Thank you," Rafael replies and steps inside. He stops next to the coat rack, waiting for Noah to shut and lock the door behind him. 

Noah comes over and holds out his hands. "May I take your coat?"

"Yes, please," Rafael says and hands Noah his suit jacket. He hears a door open and looks across the apartment. Liv's coming out of the bathroom, still putting in her earrings. "Hi," he says. 

Liv gives him a warm smile. "Hi." 

Noah has to jump a little to get Rafael's jacket on the hook. Liv and Rafael share a fond smile. 

"Ms. Penny is going to be here in five minutes," Noah says to Rafael, still using his 'grown-up' voice. "I have to make sure I have everything packed."

"Don't forget your toothbrush," Rafael says. "I always forgot my toothbrush."

Noah nods and runs towards the bathroom, just barely missing running into his mom's legs. 

"You weren't kidding about how excited he is about the sleepover," Rafael says as he steps towards Liv. 

She glances over her shoulder, then turns and kisses him hello. "He's not the only one," she says, tugging at his tie with a knowing look. They've been dating for two months, but alone time is difficult between their schedules and wanting to be sure Noah is still the top-priority for Liv. It'll be their first night together. 

"Where's your overnight bag?" Liv asks, glancing at Rafael's empty hands and then around him. 

"I picked a restaurant a block from my place," Rafael answers. "I thought we'd just grab it on the way out. I didn't want Noah asking questions I didn't know how to answer."

Liv gives him a fond look that makes Rafael feel ten feet tall. He's been getting those looks more and more as he's felt his way around how his relationship with Noah needs to change for _their_ relationship to work out long-term. "Thank you," Liv says. "One of the kids in his class used show and tell to explain how babies were made, and that's more than enough information about what adults do alone than I need him to know this week."

Rafael chuckles. "Fair.'

Noah comes barreling out of the bathroom, a bright yellow toothbrush in his hand. He runs into his bedroom, and Liv and Rafael listen to the hurried sound of a zipper opening and closing. Noah comes out of his room a moment later, his Paw Patrol backpack over both shoulders. "Has Ms. Penny called?" he asks his mom, all signs of his previous grown-up voice and posture gone. 

"Not--" Liv's phone rings, and she reaches around Rafael to pick it up. Rafael touches her waist lightly, unable not to when her perfume wafts past his nose. "Hello?" Liv asks, giving Noah a nod that makes him jump up and down. "Hi, Penelope. I will send him right down. He's all ready. Thanks."

"It was nice to see you, Uncle Rafa," Noah says quickly, his heart clearly not into his manners any longer. 

"It was nice to see you, too," Rafael replies. "Have fun."

Liv crouches down to give Noah a quick hug. "What's the secret word?"

"Applesauce!" Noah says.

"Great. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning when Ms. Penny calls me, okay?"

"Okay. Bye. Love you."

"Love you, too," Liv says, and covers her mouth with her hands as Noah misses unlocking the door twice before finally getting the lock to flip so he can open the door and dash down the hall. 

"You okay?" Rafael asks, touching Liv's shoulder.

Liv looks up at him. She's beaming. "I'm great. I just didn't want him to see I was amused."

Rafael chuckles and holds out his hand, helping Liv to her feet. He slides his hands around her waist and hums happily when she drapes her arms over her shoulders. They share a lingering, warm kiss, and then Rafael pulls away, a sudden thought bothering him, "Applesauce?" he asks. 

"Really?" Liv says, though her grin says she's not surprised Rafael picked up on it. "It's something so your kid can call and let you know they want to be picked up without them having to explain why. He adores Penolope and every kid at that party, so I don't think he'll call to come home, but--"

"Better to be prepared," Rafael finishes.

"Exactly," Liv says. She smoothes her hands over Rafael's lapels and gives him a considering look. "Your kid instincts are coming along."

"Oh?"

She nods slowly and leans in, kissing him softly on the cheek. "When Noah wasn't talking about how excited he was for the sleepover tonight, he was asking all kinds of questions about you. What did I think Uncle Rafa was doing tonight? Do adults have sleepovers? Does Uncle Rafa have sleepovers? Do you think Uncle Rafa would go to the library with us?"

Rafael wants to accuse Liv of lying or playing with him, but he knows she would never, especially not about Noah. And it's not that he disbelieves her anyway. It's that...there's a warmth running through him, one he's not familiar with. Knowing Noah thinks about him so much, it feels…

"You look like you're having a moment," Liv says.

"I…" Rafael pulls a face and heaves a sigh. "I don't know what it feels like to…be a dad. And…"

Liv's smile goes knowing. "Did you just have a feeling?"

Rafael smirks at her. "Exactly one," he says.

They smile at one another and Liv brushes a thumb along Rafael's cheekbone. "Let it simmer," she says. "Get used to feeling it. You can come with me to pick up Noah tomorrow. We'll go to the library, and you two can look at books together."

The image comes into Rafael's head fully formed: Noah's hand in his as Noah takes him to the children's section. Noah picking out a book or asking Rafael which is his favorite. Noah wanting to read a book right there, dragging Rafael to some too-small table built for kids and delighting in Rafael reading to him. Or maybe Noah will want to read to Rafael.

"Hey," Liv whispers, pecking Rafael on the nose to get his attention, "We're going to miss our reservation. You can tell me what you're thinking over dinner."

Her smile says she already knows, and Rafael feels seen in a way he rarely is. He smiles back, the warmth rolling through him building as he pictures tonight and tomorrow and the days and days after that.

**Author's Note:**

> Rafael learning to dad is a special fave of mine, so I hope you enjoy it as well! 
> 
> Thank you to the unstoppable mgarner for the beta!


End file.
